Wheeler and Linka Get Lucky in Kentucky
by Becks7
Summary: Just a fun little bit inspired by my recent trip. The Planeteers join Wheeler on a trip to fulfil one of his life long dreams and he teaches them a thing or two about picking a winner...and Linka teaches him all about getting lucky.
1. Chapter 1

Ok, so this one was obviously inspired by my recent trip to Kentucky. After a conversation with LouiseX about how she would've picked Mine That Bird to win based on the fact that the name reminded her of Linka ("Mine" "Bird" and I completely missed that connection!), I started getting ideas about the Planeteers at the Derby…and this is the result. No drama. No eco-emergency. Just our favorite Planeteers having a good time.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Not profiting from it.

* * *

**_Wheeler and Linka Get Lucky in Kentucky_**

"Wheeler, slow down! Gi and I cannot keep up in these heels!" Linka yells.

"Sorry Babe. I'm just so excited. He says as he stops to take a picture. Uh, excuse me sir," he says as he stops a random stranger and his young son. "Would you mind taking a picture of me and my friends?"

"Sure, no problem," the kind man replies.

"Thanks. Come on guys, stand right here. Here ya go," he says as he hands the man his camera. "And could you try to get the Twin Spires in the background?"

"Absolutely! Is there any other way to take a picture at Churchill Downs?" The man says with a smile. "Ready? 1. 2. 3…"

He snaps the picture and hands the camera back to Wheeler, who quickly examines the display screen.

"Excellent! Thanks!"

"You're welcome. Is this your first Derby?"

"Yes sir!"

"He is just a _little_excited," Linka jokes.

"It's my son's first one too," the man says as he ruffles the boy's hair. "I remember my first. I was just a kid, a little bit older than this one, and I've been coming every year since. I'd always come here with my dad…when he passed away last year, I didn't think I'd be able to come here without him…but I sure hated the thought of missing it. So this year, we're starting a new tradition…and if he has a good time, we'll be back every year."

The little boy was beaming as he looked up at his dad.

"Unfortunately, I forgot the camera at home."

"Would you like us to take your picture?" Linka offers.

"Yeah, just write down your email address and I'll send it to you…and I'll send you any other good shots that I get," Wheeler says.

"That's very nice of you to offer. If it's no trouble, I'd sure appreciate it."

"No trouble at all. Glad to do it…you got a pen Babe?"

Linka digs into her purse, pulls out a pen, and hands it to the man. He then writes down his email address on Wheeler's racing program.

"Thanks again," the man says. "You ladies look beautiful. Ya'll have fun today and enjoy yourselves. And good luck if you're betting!"

"Thanks!" The Planeteers all say in unison.

"Damn, everyone down here is so freakin' friendly! It's contagious!" Wheeler says. "And that guy was right, you two look great…shall we?" Wheeler asks as he offers an arm to each of the girls as they head to their seats.

Linka and Gi humor him and take the offered arm.

"This is gonna be my lucky day…I can tell," he says as he glances over at Linka who smiles back at him in return.

He takes the time to admire her outfit. A white sundress with a billowy sheer material. She even had the traditional hat, adorned with feathers and flowers. It was obvious that even though this was Wheeler's trip, Linka and Gi had put a lot of thought into their outfits. Generally, Wheeler didn't like dressing up, but today, he made an exception. He was just as excited as the girls to play dress up. He felt like he'd gone back in time to the 40s or 50s. His pin stripe suit and fedora made him feel like Al Capone, or any of those other mobster types. Even Kwame and Ma-Ti were dressed for the occasion.

They arrive at their seats and take in their surroundings. The smile on Wheeler's face says it all. He is in complete and total awe of the track and being at one of the most prestigious sporting events in America.

"Hey guys, thanks for doing this with me. This is something I've always wanted to do and I'm glad I'm getting the opportunity to share it with you. It's one of the top things on my bucket list," Wheeler says.

"Bucket list?" Ma-Ti asks.

"Yeah…the list of things you wanna do before you kick the bucket," Wheeler explains.

At the group's questioning look, Wheeler continues,

"Things I wanna do before I die."

"Wheeler! That is a horrible thing to say!" Linka says.

"What? Don't you have one? Everyone should. It's just things I wanna do so I don't live my life not doing the things I enjoy. That way when I die…and hopefully I'm an old man when that happens…I'll have no regrets and will feel like I've accomplished everything I've wanted to."

"So what have you done on this list?" Gi asks.

Wheeler pauses and thinks.

"Well, I've gone surfing in Australia, swam with dolphins, gone to a World Series game, driven a Lamborghini, went to the Indy 500, and gone to a major college Bowl game."

"What else is on your list of things to do?" Linka asks.

"Go to the Daytona 500, the other two Triple Crown races: The Preakness and the Belmont, go sky diving, drive a race car, save the world...you!" He leers.

Linka whacks his arm with her racing program.

"Grow up!"

Wheeler just winks at her and takes his seat.

"Ok, so I'm gonna give you guys a crash course in how to read these things, and then decide on which horses you're going to bet on."

"Can't you just tell us?" Gi asks.

"No, because if I tell you and the horse doesn't win, then I'll feel bad that you lost money…besides, if I tell you who I'm betting on and you all bet on him, the more people that bet on him, the lower his odds get, and the less money that's paid out…so you pick your own based on what you think from reading the program or the tip sheets."

"Can't we just pick them because we like the name?" Ma-Ti asks.

"You can…but you'd be wasting your money! They don't win just because they have cool names!"

Wheeler opens the program to the first race.

"Ok, see this? This is the type of race and the distance. So you see, the next race is for fillies, four years old and up, is 5 furlongs long, and is on the turf. These numbers here are the odds, so obviously, the ones with the lower odds are favored to win…we just gotta narrow it down to pick the winner. This here is their lineage, but if you don't follow the sport, it doesn't really matter to you that this horse's dad is Dynaformer, or that his mother's sire is Carson City. But those of us in the know, know that Dynaformer was a good turf runner back in his day and had great stamina, as did Carson City…so this horse probably won't tire easily and has turf runner in his blood. Got it?"

"Uh huh," the others respond, politely agreeing, but not really understanding.

"This part is the most important. It's their past performances. This row tells you where they started, what position they were in after the first quarter, then halfway, then three quarters, down the stretch, and at the finish. These numbers after it are how far behind they were, or how far ahead if they won. So you see, this horse here, she started from the 5th post position, and was in 6th place after the start. Then she moved up to 4th, then 3rd, and at the end, she was in 1st and won by 2 ½ lengths. So from these numbers, we can tell that this horse is a stalker. She stays close to the front, but waits to make her move…but you see, this horse down here? She started out in first place, stayed there for most of the race, but in the end, she dropped back to 5th place, and lost by 8 lengths. She was the pace setter. She took the lead and everyone was chasing her, but she just got tired and the other horses, who were stalking and holding back, had more gas left in their tank in the end and were able to over take her."

"Then why let her out front? Why not hold her back?" Linka asks.

"That's the jockey's job. They can hold the horse back…but sometimes the horse has a mind of it's own and just wants to run if they see the lead. They're competitive and want to be in front of the others…to show dominance."

"Kind of like a natural instinct to lead the pack?" Ma-Ti asks.

"Exactly! If the jockey tries too hard to hold the horse back, they could both end up getting hurt if the horse rears up. And sometimes horses are just entered in races to be the 'rabbit.' If an owner has two horses, they may decide to enter them both in the same race so that one can set the pace, and the other can stalk it and catch it. They probably even practice together like that. But there are some horses that can lead gate to wire…the ones with stamina, or who can set a slower pace and then turn it on in the end."

"What are these letters here?" Ma-Ti asks.

"Those are the track conditions. Fast, that means that the surface was dry and in good condition. This here means that the track has a synthetic surface. It's not dirt, but an artificial dirt substitute made up of rubber, sand, and sometimes carpet-like pieces coated in wax. It's supposed to be a safer surface to run on for the horses, and in turn, for the jockeys. It's more cushion and helps ease the impact on their legs when they're running. It's mandatory in California that all tracks have synthetic surface…but that kinda throws a wrench in picking a horse. Some horses that are used to the synthetic don't like running on dirt and don't do as well. So if you see that a horse has only run on synthetic tracks, you might not wanna pick them to win on the dirt. These letters here mean the track was muddy, and this is sloppy. Since it rained last night, the track is wet. That board over there in the infield lists the track conditions as being 'sloppy.' So if we look at this horse's past performances on muddy or sloppy tracks, we can see that she's finished 5th, 7th, and 8th. So she doesn't like tracks like this. Even though she's got 3-1 odds and is one of the favorites, this program was printed before it rained…so that changes everything."

"So we should look at the other horses and see how they did on muddy or sloppy tracks? And if they did well, pick them to win?" Kwame asks.

"You learn quickly Kwame my man!"

"What if there is more than one horse that does well on mud?" Gi asks.

"Then you need to look at the other things that I mentioned," Wheeler says. "Or make a decision and pick one…or you could go crazy and say 'hey, I think both of these horses have a chance of winning, so I'm going to bet the Exacta and box it.' That means that you can pick two horses and if they both finish first and second, you've just won the Exacta. If you 'box it' it doesn't matter which position they come in, just as long as they're both first and second."

"So this horse here, she has not won on a fast track, but every time it was listed as muddy or sloppy, she has won. But her odds are 15 to 1. Is that bad?" Linka asks.

"It's not great, but like I said, this was printed before the rains came through. If the odds makers knew it was raining and this horse's past history on a sloppy track, the odds would probably be lower. The TVs by the wagering windows have the current odds, so I'm sure that bettors have been looking at these past performances and have also decided that this horse has a chance to win. So, we've got 15 minutes before the race starts…why don't you all take some time to look over the choices, and make your picks. Then I'll show you how to place your bets."

After a few minutes, everyone has made their decisions. Linka, who was never satisfied with just being good at something, she needed to be the best, decided that she was going to forget about picking the winner, forget about picking the Exacta, she was going to go for the Trifecta.

"Whoa Babe, that's a little much for a beginner don't you think? I mean, even I'm not going that wild."

"You said if we could not pick between two, then we could do an Exacta…well, I cannot decide between three. So I am going for the Trifecta."

"Whatever, it's your money!"

They go to place their bets and get back to their seats just as the horses are starting to be loaded into the starting gates.

"So who did you pick Yankee?"

"I picked the 4 to win…what about you? Who's in your tri?"

"I chose the 2, the 4, and the 6."

"Did you box it?"

"Da."

"Good…so we can cheer for my 4 to win, and then the 2 and the 6 to finish second and third…not likely…but hey, you'll learn."

"Why is it not likely?" She asks.

"I'm not too confident about the 6. Sure, she's won in the mud, but any other time, she's finished mid-pack at best. The track is listed as sloppy, but it looks pretty good to me. I don't think the track conditions are going to be much of a factor. The grounds crew has done a good job of drying it out and sealing it."

"What does 'sealing it' mean?"

"Pressing the excess water out of it, with these heavy rollers, like a steam roller almost…minus the steam. Then they go through with a rake-like thing to sort of plow the dirt back up."

"So you do not think I should have picked the 6?" Linka asks.

"Doesn't matter what I think. You looked over the charts, you made the decision you thought was right…now it's up to the horses! That's the fun part…it'd be boring if you were just sitting here watching horses run around in a circle, but when you've got something to cheer for, something at stake to watch and root for…it's like an emotional high. It's such a rush when you see your horse up there, battling for the lead."

"You have fond memories of the track then?"

"Yeah…back before my dad got too consumed by alcohol, he'd take me with him to the tracks. He's the one that taught me to read the programs; we'd study them and pick horses together. Then bet on them and cheer for our picks together…it was a real bonding experience. 'Til he started drinking more…then he'd just come to the track to drink, not bet, or when he did bet, he'd have no idea what he was betting on, and he'd put crazy amounts of money on horses that he knew nothing about. I stopped going to the races with him because when I'd try to tell him not to bet, he'd get pissed at me and rough me up."

"I am sorry," Linka says sadly.

"Why? You weren't the one smackin' me around."

"Coming here, being at a track…it does not bring back bad memories?"

"Nah, just the opposite…it makes me think of the good times…before he was a drunk and when he was teaching me. And teaching you guys makes me remember those good times too. I really am glad you came to share this experience with me," Wheeler says sincerely as he looks down appreciatively into Linka's eyes.

Linka smiles up at him and just as she is about to take his hand and give it a squeeze, the gates fly open with a crash and 10 massive thoroughbreds come flying out, charging past them. The sudden commotion causes both of them to look away from each other and towards the track. They watch the horses go down the straightaway and make the first turn. When they can no longer see them, they look up at the big screen and watch the horses make the turn to the straightaway on the opposite side of the track. Soon, they are rounding the turn, coming down the home stretch. Wheeler's horse is currently in 4th place, while Linka's #2 and #6 horses were running first and second. She needed Wheeler's horse to get up there into at least third place, so when Wheeler started yelling and cheering his horse on, she joined him. The horses were nearing the finish line and it was difficult for the Planeteers to see who was running where, so once again, they looked up at the big screen.

"COME ON 4 GET UP THERE! COME ON GIRL…GO BABY GO!!!"

And as if the filly hears Wheeler's pleas, she kicks it into gear and makes her move.

"YES!" Linka yells once she sees that her 3 horses are in the top three spots.

"COME OOOOOOOOOOON!!!" Wheeler urges as his horse starts to close ground on the leader. She crosses the finish line a neck ahead of the second place horse. "ALRIGHT!"

Linka has grasped his forearm and is excitedly jumping up and down.

"I WON!!!" Wheeler says excitedly to her.

"DA ME TOO!!!"

"WHAT?!"

"The 4, 6, and 2 finished first, second, and third! Those were the horses I picked for my trifecta!"

"Get out! I wasn't even paying attention to who else was up there! That's awesome Babe! Congrats!"

"Thank you!" She says as she excitedly throws her arms around him. "I cannot believe it!"

"How'd you guys do?" Wheeler asks the others.

"I had the 2 to win," Gi says.

"Me too," Kwame says.

"I had the 5," Ma-Ti says.

"The 5? That horse was 20-1 and has never won on the mud," Wheeler says as he looks at the program. "What made you pick that one?"

"I used my ring and asked her if she was going to win. She said that she was, and that she was the best horse out there," Ma-Ti explains.

"You can't use your ring Ma-Ti! These are thoroughbreds, they _ALL_ think they're the best!" Wheeler says with a chuckle.

"Well, now I know!"

"Come on Babe, let's go cash in our tickets. You oughta have a pretty big winner. That 6 was 12-1."

* * *

Wheeler leads Linka to the wagering window to cash in their tickets. He hands the cashier his ticket and she gives him $43.30 back. Then Linka hands in her ticket and receives $506.60!

"What were you saying about it not being likely that the 6 horse would be there at the end and that I'd '_learn_.' Well guess what Yankee! I think I learned pretty well!"

"Beginner's luck Babe! But I'm happy for you! Sometimes it's more about luck than it is skill."

"Da well, your _skill_ earned you $43. My _luck_ earned me $506."

"So are you going to keep playing? We can keep track of who's got the most money at the end of the day."

"Everything is a competition with you, is it not?"

"Just a little friendly competition. We don't have to if you don't want to."

"Of course I want to. I have already got a $463 lead! So what's at stake?" She asks.

"If I win, you gotta give me a kiss. A _REAL_ one."

"And if I win, you have to serve me breakfast in bed for a week."

"I'll give you whatever you want in bed!"

Linka rolls her eyes at his innuendo.

"And that means you have to wake up _BEFORE_ lunch time. I mean it Yankee, I usually wake up at 7:30 or 8 every morning so that is when I want my breakfast. And by breakfast, I do not mean a bowl of cereal or a Pop Tart. I want the works. Eggs, toast, bacon or sausage…FRESH SQUEEZED orange juice…"

"Ok, ok, I get it. Not that it's gonna matter. I'll be getting my kiss AND getting to sleep in and you'll be making your own breakfast!"

* * *

Linka was beginning to wonder if maybe Wheeler was right. She hadn't picked a single winner the rest of the day, while Wheeler was making money on almost every race. The others had given up and decided that they were going to wait until the big race to pick a horse.

By the time the 11th race, The Kentucky Derby, rolled around Wheeler was leading Linka by $20. He wasn't being shy about letting her know it either, although the Mint Juleps may have been giving him some "liquid courage." When she'd look his way, he'd wink and pucker his lips, or make comments like,

"Hey Gi, do you have any gum? They may call these things Mint Juleps, but they don't do a very good job of freshening my breath...actually, they kinda make me feel like my mouth is on fire…and I'm gonna need my breath to be as fresh as possible after this race. And to keep things interesting, we're not allowed to pick the same horse to win. Just to be fair, I'll let you pick first."

"I have the perfect horse… 'I Want Revenge!'" Linka says as she glares at him.

"And that would've been a great choice because he was the favorite to win…but he was scratched. It was all over the news this morning. His ankle was inflamed."

"Aww, poor guy. I hope he is ok."

"Yeah, me too. He was good. But it's a good thing they found it now and the owners were smart enough to make the decision not to run him. I'm sure it was a tough decision since this is the biggest race of the year…but it's in the best interest of the horse and I'm glad to see that the owners weren't selfish and considered the welfare of the animal."

"Da, but I am going to need a few more minutes to look over this program."

"Ok, what about the rest of you? Have enough time to pick a winner?"

"I have mine," Gi says. "The number 10 horse, Regal Ransom."

"What?! He's a 30-1! Remember before how I was telling you about 'rabbits?' Well, Regal Ransom is a rabbit for Desert Party."

"Oh Good!" Kwame says, "Because I picked Desert Party, the # 19."

"That's a good one Kwame. He's 15-1, so you'll win a decent amount of money if he wins and he's done well on a muddy track before, even though he was shipped over here from Dubai. I'm sure they don't see much rain over there. But Gi, what made you pick Regal Ransom?"

"The owner is listed as 'Godolphin Racing.' Go dolphin…get it?"

"Oh geez! That's not a good reason to pick him! Desert Party is also owned by Godolphin, and he's the better of the two. If you wanna stick with a Godolphin horse, why not put some money on him?" Wheeler suggests.

"Nope, I like Regal Ransom's sire's name…Distorted Humor…kinda reminds me of you Wheeler!" Gi teases.

"Ok, well, good luck. What made you pick Desert Party Kwame?"

"I grew up in Africa…desert…I thought it was appropriate."

"Wait, you didn't even look at the stats?"

"No," Kwame says.

Wheeler shakes his head and thinks to himself '_Why did I even bother trying_?'

"What about you Ma-Ti? Who do you like today?"

"General Quarters."

"What? He's 20-1 and never run on a muddy track. He's mostly done turf races or synthetic tracks. Why on Earth would you pick him?"

"Because his sire is named Sky Mesa and his mother is named Ecology. Sky Mesa is a good Native American name, and Ecology is a good Planeteer name. It seems like fate," Ma-Ti says.

"Ok. But can I give you guys a tip? If you're gonna put a bet on your horses to win, also put one on him to Show…since they have no chance of winning, there's a chance they could get up there and finish 3rd or better…then you'd win your money back."

"Wheeler! Do not be so condescending! Let them pick whoever they want to…remember, sometimes it is more about luck than it is skill."

"Ok, fine. It's only a game. As long as you're all having fun."

"We are," Kwame says as the others nod in agreement.

"So Babe-ushka, who'd you decide on?"

"Well, I looked it over and listened to the others' choices and their reasons behind it…And I narrowed it down to two choices. There's the 17 horse, Summer Bird…"

"50-1…are you nuts?! He's only had 3 lifetime races and only 1 win."

"Let me finish Yankee! I was looking at Summer Bird, but have decided to bet on a different horse. The #8, Mine That Bird."

"WHAT?! NO WAY! He's 50-1, hasn't won a race yet this year, and has never raced against any of these horses. I don't even know how he got into this race. He's never even faced horses of this caliber before…Wait…I get it…you're _**purposely**_trying to lose so you can kiss me. Cuz if that's the case, then Mine That Bird is perfect!"

Linka rolls her eyes.

"Oh yes Yankee, I am intentionally losing this bet so I can kiss you! Puh-leeeeease! I would much rather have breakfast in bed for a week than give you a silly little kiss."

"Nah-uh, it's not a silly little kiss. Remember, a _**real**_ kiss…not a peck on the check, not a quick grade school truth or dare type of kiss, but a full on, 10 second minimum kiss."

"Ok, keep your voice down! All of Kentucky does not need to know!"

"Oh yes they do! I'm going to pass the camera off to Gi and make sure she gets a picture!"

"Grow up. I am going to win this. I have a good feeling about Mine That Bird," Linka says.

"Why's that?"

"Well, it is like Ma-Ti said…it is fate. 'Mine' because I grew up in a mining town and 'Bird' because I like birds. That is the perfect horse for me. Even his parents have good names that relate to me. 'Mining My Own' and 'Birdstone.'"

"Wait…his sire is Birdstone?" Wheeler asks as he flips open the program.

"Da…does that mean something to you?"

"In 2004, Birdstone won the Belmont, the last leg of the Triple Crown. He ran down Smarty Jones, who had won the Derby and the Preakness, and kept him from becoming the first Triple Crown winner in 26 years. It's been 30 years now since we've had a Triple Crown winner."

"So my horse is a good horse?"

"I didn't say that. Your horse's _**dad**_ is a good horse…your horse still doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell!"

"I like the name, and I am sticking with it."

"If you were gonna pick a horse based on name, you shoulda picked Friesan Fire."

"Why would I pick him?" She asks.

"Because he's got 'fire' in his name…it should remind you of your main man!"

"Then you should pick him."

"As a matter of fact, I did…I was just giving you the opportunity to change your mind…to be fair."

"No need. I am not changing my mind."

"Well in that case, let's go place our bets. The lines are going to get crazy long if we wait any longer."

* * *

They make their wagers, buy some more mint juleps…against their better judgment, and go back to their seats. The crowd around them had been relatively thin all day, but now that the big race was nearing, more people were arriving, and their once sparsely filled section was now full. The trumpet blares the "Call to Post" and everyone stands up to try and get a glimpse of the horses as they come onto the track. The spectators remain standing as the national anthem is sung by country singer, Leann Rimes.

"Wow! A real celebrity is singing the national anthem. They do not usually do that at any of the other sporting events I have watched with you," Linka says once The Star Spangled Banner ends.

"This place is crawling with celebrities…if we were watching this on TV, you'd be seeing all the 'red carpet' interviews and the reporters making a big deal about all the ladies' hats. They're just all sittin' up there," he says as he points to a series of boxed seats "That's 'Millionaire's Row.' Expensive seats reserved for the rich, famous, and well-connected."

"Well maybe after my horse wins this race, we can sit there next year!"

"Ha, yeah right! Wait, you're serious?! How much money did you put on that horse!?"

"20 to Win, 10 to Show…just in case…I'll recoup some of my money."

"Damn Babe! That won't get us into Millionaire's Row, but that's pretty hefty. You really have a lot of faith in your pick don't you?"

"Da. I found something else I liked about him."

"What's that? Does the spot on his forehead look like a musical symbol?"

"Nyet, I had not noticed…Does it?"

"Yeah, backwards F clef!"

"Ok, then TWO more things I like about him, the F clef, and his number 8 saddle cloth is pink and I like pink!"

"Oh come on! Now you're just TRYING to frustrate me!"

"It is not hard to do," she giggles.

"Yeah, especially when it comes to you…you happen to be very good at frustrating me," he leers at her as they both hide their smiles by taking another sip of their mint juleps.

Linka makes a face and shakes her head…big mistake. The bourbon concoction is hitting her strongly.

"Why do we keep drinking these things?!"

"Because it's tradition…and you start to get used to them after a while."

"I got used to them 3 glasses ago…now I am starting to get sick of them!" She says.

"You mean sick _FROM_ them!"

"Not quite, but I am seeing three of you and I can feel a headache coming on."

"Just focus on the one in the middle. Your vision will clear up and the headache will stay away," Wheeler suggests.

"It is not my altered vision that is giving me a headache…it is the thought of there being _THREE_ of you that gives me the headache!!!"

Wheeler shoots her a dirty look, but can't hold it and is soon smiling at her.

The University of Louisville marching band is playing Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home" as the horses parade before the grandstands. The words are posted on the big screen so everyone can sing along.

"The sun shines bright in My Old Kentucky home,  
'Tis summer, and people are gay;  
The corn-top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom  
While the birds make music all the day."

Wheeler is really getting into it and Linka has to stifle a laugh. This is the first time he has ever even been to Kentucky and he is signing along with such enthusiasm, it's as if he really is reminiscing about his "Old Kentucky Home." It's infectious and soon, Linka joins in his fervor.

"The young folks roll on the little cabin floor  
All merry, all happy and bright;  
By 'n' by hard times comes a knocking at the door  
Then My Old Kentucky Home, good night!"

Wheeler throws his arm around Linka's shoulder as he belts out the chorus,

"Weep no more my lady  
Oh! Weep no more today!  
We will sing one song  
For My Old Kentucky Home  
For My Old Kentucky Home, far away."

Linka and Wheeler laugh together once the song finishes and watch as the horses parade past them and towards the gate. They are now loaded into the gate and the Derby is ready to start. The gates fly open and the horses burst out. 19 horses come thundering past them for the first time. Bad news for Wheeler, his horse stumbled out of the gate and got bumped around. Most horses get too shaken up by that and it takes them a long time to regroup and recover from it and catch up with the leaders who they've now lost pace with. Worse news for Linka…despite Wheeler's horse's bad start, her horse was still behind him. When the pack of horses went by, there was only18 in the group. Then Linka's horse came galloping along, 6 lengths behind the last place horse.

"Well, my horse is gonna be bad…but yours is gonna be even worse!" Wheeler says to her.

They lose sight of the horses once they make the first turn. They turn their attention to the big screen and watch the battle for the lead unfold between the 16, the 9, and the 10. A young man behind them is looking through binoculars and giving a play by play to those around him who can't see. "It's the 16 and the 9…16, 9, 10. The 10 is moving up. The 9 is in front…now it's the 16. Still the 16….the 16 and the 9 are pulling ahead."

The horses are now rounding the fourth turn and getting ready to come past the Planeteers again, coming down the final stretch, headed for the finish line. Wheeler's horse is second to last. Linka didn't even see her horse amongst the pack. She was worried that he had gotten hurt and been pulled up on the other side of the track. The horses are past them and getting smaller as they near the finish line. The boy behind them is still continuing his commentary.

"It's the 9 and the 16…the 16 is pulling ahead…I can't see. I can't tell who won."

People in the crowd were clamoring,

"Who won?"

"Which one was in front?"

"Did the 16 hold off the 9?"

The young man raises his binoculars again and looks at the big screen. "They're showing…I can't see the number. The saddle cloth is pink."

"Pink?" Linka asks as she turns around to address the kid.

"Yeah."

Linka looks excitedly at Wheeler with a huge smile on her face.

"Hold on Babe. Don't get too excited yet. There's no way it was the 8. The 20 is a dark pink. Is it a dark pink or a light pink buddy?"

The boy puts the binoculars to his eyes again.

"It's…light pink. There! Look at the big screen! It's the 8!"

Everyone turns their attention to the big screen and sure enough, they are showing the #8 horse with the pink saddle towel and his jockey is celebrating…waving to the crowd and patting his horse's neck.

"BOZHE MOY!!! THE EIGHT WON! MINE THAT BIRD WON!" Linka says as she grabs Wheeler's arm and jumps up and down happily. "I DO NOT BELIEVE IT! I WON! I WON!" And in her elation, she temporarily looses her senses, throws her arms around Wheeler's neck, and plants a kiss directly on his lips.

Wheeler is too shocked to respond at first and by the time he does, she has pulled away, a little embarrassed at her reaction, but too happy to care.

"Hey, that was what I was supposed to get if I won…but I didn't, you did. So I guess I'll be serving you your breakfast?"

"In bed!" Linka reminds him.

"Yeah…in bed," he says with a hint of longing in his voice.

The others are also shocked by Linka's reaction. They aren't surprised that she's so happy, but very surprised that she kissed Wheeler, and it wasn't just a kiss on the cheek, it was a full, on the lips, smooch...of which Gi managed to get a picture!

"Well, I guess we should get to the Mutuel windows to get your ticket cashed. Although I doubt it'll be very busy. You're probably the only person here who had money on that horse!" Wheeler says as he takes her by the elbow and leads her through the crowd.

* * *

After she cashes in her ticket, the woman at the Mutuel window congratulates her and the Planeteers move to a less crowded area.

"There's one more race left, but we should probably leave now. Our reservations are for 7:30 and with the traffic, we'll barely make it," Wheeler says.

"Umm, I'm actually kind of tired. Would you mind if I just went back to the hotel?" Gi asks.

"Are you sure? Maybe if you get a cup of coffee before dinner, you'll feel better?" Linka suggests.

"I don't think so. It's been a long day...and too many mint juleps!" Gi says, feeling perfectly fine, but wanting to give Wheeler and Linka a chance to continue the good time and closeness they've been sharing all day. She hopes that the boys catch on.

Kwame does.

"You know what; I think I will accompany Gi back to the hotel. I too am tired," Kwame then gives Ma-Ti a nudge in the back.

"Oh…uhh, yes," he fakes a yawn. "I have had much fun, but am very tired. And very hungry. I do not think I can wait at a restaurant and stay awake long enough for the food to arrive. Perhaps I will go back with the others and order room service and then sleep."

"Really? You are all going to leave? Well then maybe we should cancel our dinner plans and just go back together?" Linka says.

Wheeler looks defeated. He was really looking forward to dinner at this Italian restaurant…and with the others dropping like flies, he was _**really **_looking forward to dinner alone with Linka.

"No, don't cancel on our account. You look wide awake. And you should go celebrate your big winnings. You both had good days at the track as far as winning goes," Gi says.

"I do have a sudden burst of energy!" Linka admits.

"Then go. Have fun, enjoy the rest of your night," Kwame says.

"If you insist," Wheeler says as he puts his arm around Linka's shoulder and starts walking away before anyone has a chance to reconsider.

He's waiting for her to pull away and watching for signs of her being uncomfortable by his closeness, but instead, she surprises him by putting her arm around his waist as they walk through the crowd and head for the exit. As they walk out of Gate 1, Linka stops suddenly in front of the newly constructed statue and gravesite of the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner, Barbaro.

"What's up?" Wheeler asks.

"Looks like the 8 is a good number to pick," she says as she points towards the statue, noting that Barbaro also won wearing the 8.

"I guess it was fate. The 8 was meant to win on this guy's big unveiling weekend. Rest in peace Champ!"

"Or I am just better than you!" Linka teases as she gives him a little shove.

"Or you are just _**luckier **_than me," he replies, returning her shove.

* * *

To Be Continued...this was supposed to be short, but it had mind of its own and took off. Part 2 will be up soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the conclusion. Hope it was worth the wait...I got a little side tracked.

* * *

They walk to the restaurant in companionable silence, occasionally pointing out the sights such as the University of Louisville.

Once they arrive at the restaurant, Wheeler approaches the hostess.

"We have a reservation under 'Wheeler.' It was originally for five, but now it'll only be for two, so if you wanna leave that table open for a bigger group, we can take a smaller one." Then he leans in closer so that Linka can't hear. "Preferably one in a quiet, dark corner…maybe some candle light and flowers," he says as he slides a 20 dollar bill across the podium for her.

"Yes, sir. That can be arranged, no problem at all."

"Thank you."

The hostess looks at the map of the available tables, calls a bus boy over and arranges for candles and flowers to be placed on it, and then leads the young couple to the back of the restaurant.

"Will this be alright?" she asks.

"This will be perfect, thank you so much," Wheeler says with a smile.

Linka takes her seat in a huff.

"Something wrong? Is this a bad spot?" Wheeler asks.

"Nyet."

"Then why the sudden mood change? Are you tired now too?"

"Nyet."

"Come on Link. What's buggin' ya? You were fine two minutes ago."

"Two minutes ago, you were not flirting with the hostess."

"I know I wasn't."

"I am being sarcastic Wheeler! Bozhe moy! Why must you always flirt with every girl you see?!"

"I don't!"

"This is why nothing more ever happens between us. We were having such a good time and you have to go and ruin it by being…YOURSELF! I do not know why I am so surprised. You do this all the time."

"Do what? I'm so confused right now Linka. I have no idea what I did wrong…but I really hope you plan on telling me what you _THINK _I did wrong, cuz I'd really like to know. And you were right, we _**were**_ having a good time and I'd like that to continue."

"Well, you should have thought of that _**before**_ you decided to get friendly with the hostess."

"I didn't! I was my usual amount of friendly. Did you want me to be rude to her and tell her that this table sucked?"

"You were getting all up close and whispering to her when we first arrived, and she was all 'yes sir,' then you were all 'yes, this is perfect, thank you so much.' It was so obvious! What did you give her? Your number?"

"NO! Geez, I got close to her so that I could ask her to put us at a table with some privacy, hook me up with some candles and flowers, and I didn't slide her my number, I slid her a 20 for incentive to help out."

"Oh."

"'Oh?!' You accuse me of being a jerk, and all I get is 'oh.'"

"I am sorry."

"Yeah. It's fine. Whatever," he says as he unfolds his napkin, and violently shakes it out before placing it on his lap.

He takes the menu and holds it up so that it covers his face. He can feel how red he is getting, a little bit from being angry, but mostly from being embarrassed. He thought he was reading her right…he thought trying to make things romantic was a good idea. He obviously read things wrong. Then he feels something brushing his hand, then again. Finally, she is able to pry her fingers between the menu and his fingers, taking hold of his hand.

"Wheeler…"

"The Shrimp Diavolo sounds good," he says.

"Wheeler, put the menu down," she says as she rubs her thumb over his hand. "I have to tell you something."

"Go ahead, I'm listening. But I'm also hungry so I wanna figure out what I'm getting before the waiter gets here…at least I hope it's a waiter…I'm in trouble if it's a waitress. I might be accused of flirting if I politely ask her for my meal…Unless I say 'Gimme some spaghetti and meatballs bitch, and make it snappy.'"

"WHEELER!"

"What? I can't be nice to other girls without being accused of wanting to get into their pants, so I'm better off being a jerk to them, that way you don't get mad at me."

"I am getting mad at you now. You are being immature. I am trying to apologize, so let me."

"Go on," he says as he lowers the menu.

"I was wrong for being mad at you. What you did…what you had arranged for me…for us. This is nice. I am sorry I over reacted. I just…misunderstood."

"Why? What is there to misunderstand? I guess that's where I'm confused. Why would you think that after all the fun we had today, the way we walked to this restaurant with our arms around each other…why would you think that I'd be interested in flirting with anyone else but you?"

"I do not know."

"I do…because that's the kinda guy you think I am. You said so yourself…you said that every time we get close, _**I**_ ruin it by being myself. That I do it all the time…well what about all the times _**you've**_ ruined our moments? By pulling away, being distant. Pretending nothing ever happened. Getting jealous…like tonight."

"I know...I know I do all those things…but how many times have you _**intentionally**_ tried to make me jealous, just to prove to yourself that I _**do**_ get jealous of other girls, and that must mean something. Well, maybe I am more angry than I am jealous…did you ever consider that?" Linka asks.

"No."

"I get angry because you can so easily move from one girl to another…you do it with me all the time. You flirt with me when we are alone or if it is just us and the Planeteers, but if there is another girl, a new conquest for you to flirt with, you do…and I no longer exist. How am I supposed to react? How do I know that you will not move on and forget me completely after I have given in and allowed myself to feel something for you?"

"Because I wouldn't. I thought you knew me well enough to know that. I always come back to you. I've never thought that you didn't exist. I was just doing my best to try and move on, but I never could. I never did. I'd never move on and forget you completely. Sometimes I wish that I could, but it's been too many years. I've tried, but I can't. And even though we were having a great time today at the Derby, and by some stroke of luck, that time together had been extended to the evening…alone…I know that tomorrow, things will be back to usual between us. Status quo. And that sucks," he says as he looks down at where their hands are still joined.

Linka laces her fingers with his and stands up to slide into the booth beside him.

"Can we just enjoy tonight? Today was perfect. You got to fulfill a life long dream and I am so happy that I got to share it with you. And I learned a lot today. Like sometimes you can figure out what is going to happen based on the past…a good horse may not be a good horse on a muddy track, while a mediocre horse can thrive on running in the mud…And sometimes the unexpected happens and shocks the world," she says as she puts her hand on his cheek and leans in closer to him.

"Are you referring to picking the horse that no one else thought could win it?"

"I am talking about picking you…when no one else…not even I, ever thought I would."

"You…you're picking me?" He asks, hesitant to get his hopes up.

"Da…if you will have me. If you can forgive me for my temper and all the times that I've sent mixed messages."

"Of course I'll have you…you're all I've ever wanted!" He says as he pulls her closer to him.

"Da, but can you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive. We've both made mistakes. We've both done things to hurt each other. Let's forget about it and just concentrate on today. Today was one of the best days of my life…and it was made even better because I got to share it with my best friends…but mostly because I got to share it with you."

"The Derby is something you've always wanted to do. You would have had a good time even if I were not there."

"Yeah…but sharing something that's so important to me with _**someone**_ that's so important to me, makes it better. All I've ever wanted was to share my life with you. This was a big moment in my life, and I'm glad you were a part of it…and I hope that I'll get to be a part of all of your big moments."

"You will be…because I have a feeling that all my big moments will be because of you."

Wheeler gets a big smile on his face then leans in to kiss her…but just before their lips meet, he notices the waiter standing at their table, looking a little uncomfortable. So instead of the big kiss that Wheeler was planning on, he settled for a quick peck. Linka was obviously expecting something more too because she had closed her eyes, anticipating a passionate kiss. Once she opened them, she gave him a questioning look. Wheeler nods towards the unnoticed waiter standing behind her. She turns her head to see him and blushes.

"Sorry," she apologizes, and then gets up to return to her seat on the opposite side of the table.

"No need to apologize Miss. I'm sorry for interrupting."

"That is ok," Linka says.

"Yeah, we're used to it!" Wheeler adds.

"Well, my name is Tim…I see you've been to the Derby. Did you have a good time?"

"Yes, it was lovely," Linka says.

"Yeah. We both had some luck at the track…some of us more than others…you're payin' tonight, right Babe?"

"Umm, I can."

"NO! I'm kidding. I'm not letting you pay!"

"Have you had a chance to look over the menu? I can just get you started off with drinks or an appetizer and come back for your order," Tim says.

"How about the Bruschetta for the appetizer. I know what I want for dinner, how 'bout you Linka?"

"I do not really know. I do not each much Italian…what is good?"

"It's ALL good Babe."

"I do not want to get sauce on my dress!"

"Might I recommend the seafood alfredo then? It's an alfredo, white wine, and olive oil sauce, so no chance of a red tomato sauce stain. It is shrimp, scallops, and crab meat on a bed of linguini noodles."

"That sounds good. I will have that," Linka says.

"And I'll have the shrimp diavolo."

"And to drink? We have Coke products, water, tea, coffee, cocktails, our wine list is right here."

"Cool…how 'bout a bottle of white wine? That work for you Babe?"

"Da, whatever you want…are you sure though? Have we not had enough to drink today?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm losing my mint julep buzz!"

"Not me. I am still feeling them!"

"Can we get a bottle of Chablis? That'll go good with shrimp right?"

"Yes sir, it is best to pair shellfish with white wines that have a fair amount of acid. Whites from cold regions like France's Loire Valley or Chablis, or from Oregon, will have plenty of acid backbone to match the buttery flavor of lobster, fresh oysters, or in your case, shrimp."

"That's what I thought. Does Chablis sound good to you Babe?"

"Da, whatever…apparently you are the expert!"

"Any particular year?" Tim asks. "We have stock that goes back to the 60s."

"Damn, that's some old wine! Let's go with this year here," Wheeler says as he points to the list.

"Ah, a good year."

"Yeah, a very good year."

"If that's all you needed, I'll be back with a basket of garlic bread and your Chablis."

"I did not know you were such an expert on wine Yankee!"

"Well, my dad was an alchy, so…it kinda goes with the territory."

"Alcoholics are particular about the type of alcohol that they drink with their dinner? That is surprising to me."

"Most probably aren't…but my dad came from a classy family. You wouldn't know it from where he ended up in Brooklyn, but his knowledge of alcohol was always something he threw around…like it justified his habit…A 'I'm not an alcoholic, I just know my alcohol,' sort of thing."

"I see."

"Weird?"

"Nyet. I am just impressed that you remembered."

"Well, I didn't want my dad to be disappointed in me, or make the mistake of drinking the wrong wine with my hamburger…because that's what it came down to. We couldn't afford nice steaks, so it was ground beef, but God forbid if there was no wine with dinner. Most people would just settle for a beer with hamburger. So I learned my meat and wine pairings so my dad would have one less reason to call me an idiot…not that he didn't find other reasons to."

"You are not an idiot," she reassures.

"Not always," he says.

"You learned much from your dad…horse betting, wine pairing…anything else?"

"I don't know. I guess I just tried harder to find stuff in common with him. But don't worry…I didn't learn how to treat a lady from him…so you're safe."

"I am not worried. I was never worried."

"I just didn't want you to think that since you're seeing some similarities that I was like him. I'm nothing like him."

"I do not know your father, other than what you've told me, but I know you…and that is all I need to know. I am not on a date with him. I am on a date with you."

"So this is a date?" He asks.

"Uhh, well…I guess…but I do not know…maybe it is different in different cultures, but if we were in Russia, this would be classified as a date."

"Well, I'd sure like it to be classified as a date."

"What else could it be?" She asks.

"Well, when it's just two friends going out to dinner, it wouldn't be called a date."

"Oh. So that is what this is then? Just two friends going out to dinner?"

"NO! Like I said, I'd like it to be classified as a date. For example, if you, Kwame, and Ma-Ti were the ones that were too tired to go to dinner, and it was just me and Gi, I wouldn't have arranged for the private table, or the candles, or the flowers…cuz me and her are just friends."

"And you and I are not friends?" She asks, knowing that they are, but wanting to hear Wheeler say what he's feeling.

"Of course we are…but it's no secret that I've always wanted us to be more than friends."

"Nyet, I think you've made that quite clear!" She teases.

"But it all depends on you. If you don't want to be more, then I'll have to settle for just being friends…because I'd rather have you as a friend than not have you at all."

"That is sweet Wheeler…and exactly how I feel."

"So you'd rather just be friends?" He asks, suddenly feeling like he's been punched in the gut.

"I'd rather be friends than be nothing at all…which is what has always scared me about being more than friends. I do not want to…lose you."

"I'm not going anywhere," he says, his hopes rising again.

"But if things did not work out…could we still be friends?"

"I'd like to think that we're mature enough to stay friends…but I'd also like to not think negatively and just plan on things working out. We'd have to get over all these silly little arguments that we always have, and know that just because we do argue, it doesn't mean we're over…we just need to get over it."

"But neither one of us is the type of person that is going to admit they are wrong. We are very argumentative and we do things to hurt each other intentionally," she says.

"I know…and that's where we have got a lot of growing up to do…but if I have to admit that I'm wrong, even when I think I'm not, I'll do it if the consequence to not doing it was losing you…because that's how much I want to keep you in my life…now whether or not you'd do the same depends on how you feel about me. Could you put aside your pride if it meant keeping me in your life? Because I know I don't want to live without you…" Wheeler hesitates, contemplating on whether or not he should ask the next question. Is he prepared for her answer? "But do you think you can live without me?"

Linka pauses, contemplating his question. She wants to answer it just right.

"I never thought about it before. I never thought I would have to. I guess, I just always thought you would be there. I never thought about what would happen if you got a girlfriend, other than acting like a fool when you showed attention to other girls. I just always thought you would still be there. But when I think about it, if I wait any longer…and you moved on with someone else, I know that it would kill me. I do not _**think**_ that I can live without you…I _**know**_ that I cannot."

Wheeler doesn't even attempt to hide his smile, and it only grows bigger when she smiles back at him.

"So, I guess this is like, our first date?" He asks.

"Da…our first of many."

The waiter returns with the bottle of wine and beings pouring. Then leaves the bottle on their table and says,

"I've put in your appetizer order and that'll be ready soon."

"Thanks Tim."

"Any particular reason why you chose the year that you chose?" Linka asks.

"Actually, there's a _very_ particular reason why I chose that year. It's the year we met."

"Jason Wheeler…who knew you could be such a romantic!"

"No one. I was saving it for someone special," he says as he reaches across the table to take her hand.

"Lucky me."

"Seems to be a theme with you today…getting lucky."

"Well, maybe my luck will rub off on you and you'll get lucky," she says just before taking a sip of her wine and quirking an eyebrow at him.

"_Did she just…? I think she did_," Wheeler thought to himself. So he decides to take his chances with an equally suggestive reply.

"I have a few suggestions of how to get your luck to rub off on me…all of which will lead to me getting lucky!" He says with a wink.

Linka leans across the table as far as she can and whispers, so that only he can hear,

"You will have to tell me later."

In turn, Wheeler does the same, leaning in as far as he can and whispers back,

"I'd rather show you."

They are inches apart, but unfortunately the width of the table is just enough to keep them from getting any closer.

Tim returns to the table, but then stops and tries to leave without being noticed. Linka catches sight of him out of the corner of her eye and sits back, causing Wheeler to do the same. At being caught, Tim stays and says,

"Uh, sorry again. I was just coming to check on you to see if the bruschetta was ok…but I see you haven't tried it yet."

"I'm sure it'll be good."

"Da, it smells great."

"Can I get you anything else?" Tim asks.

"Some privacy would be nice," Wheeler says under his breath.

Fortunately, Linka is the only one that hears him.

"No thank you. We are fine for now," she says.

* * *

Their meals come and they dig right in, hungry from not having much to eat all day. After they finish, Tim returns to tempt them with dessert. They decide to share a piece of Tiramisu. Wheeler then asks for the check, but tells Tim that they will be staying a little while longer to talk and finish off their bottle of wine. He also politely lets Tim know that there is no need for him to check on them anymore, putting a generous tip in with the bill to encourage Tim to listen to Wheeler's request for time alone.

Wheeler exits his side of the booth and slides in next to Linka, resting his arm across the back, and as a result, around her.

"Did you like this place?"

"Da, the food was delicious!"

"Yeah, I think we should come here every year after the Derby."

"Oh. Are you planning on coming every year now?"

"Yeah! And you better come with me. You gotta give me a chance to win my portion of the bet."

"Oh, you mean this?" Linka asks as she leans towards him and brushes her lips against his.

"Yeah, that was it."

"I think you have already gotten your reward…even though you did not win."

"But I did win. I may not have won the most money and lost our little bet, but I won…believe me. I won big time," he says, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and moving his hand to the back of her neck.

She gives him a shy smile before moving to kiss him again. They stay there all night just talking and enjoying each other's company, until the restaurant closes.

* * *

"You wanna walk back to the hotel or get a cab?" Wheeler asks.

Linka looks up and down the traffic-less road.

"I do not think we are going to find one…and if we do, we could have walked back to the hotel by then."

"Ok. Walking it is," he says as he takes her hand.

They arrive back at the hotel and Wheeler walks her to her room.

"I had a great time today…and tonight. Did you?" He asks.

"Da."

"It kinda sucks that it's coming to an end," he says.

She leans her back against the door and pulls him towards her by the lapels of his jacket.

"It does not have to," she says as she slides her arms around the back of his neck and pulls him down for a kiss. She pulls away slightly and whispers, "That was not a good night kiss."

"Then what was it?" He asks.

"An invitation," she says as she reaches behind her to open her door.

"An invitation? To…?"

"You said you were going to show me how to get my luck to rub off on you. Show me…"

"Linka…I gotta know…is this the Mint Juleps talking?"

"Nyet. The mint juleps stopped talking a long time ago."

"Then is it the wine talking?"

"Nyet. It is just me talking," she says as she steps inside, pulling him by his tie. "Are you coming?"

"Absolutely," he says as he follows her and kicks the door closed behind him.

He steps closer to her, grasping her by the hips and pulling her to him. As he bends down to kiss her though, her big Derby hat gets in the way.

"This needs to go," he says as he peels it off and flings it across the room.

"Hey! Be careful! That was expensive…and I am going to need it for next year!" They resume their kiss. She slides her hands up his chest and across his shoulders, slipping his jacket off, and letting it fall on the floor behind him. Then she undoes the knot of his tie and slides it off from around his neck. Next she begins un-tucking his shirt and unbuttoning it, removing it in the same way as his jacket, revealing a white sleeveless undershirt.

"Bozhe moy! How many layers do you have on?"

He chuckles at her frustration and says,

"Well if I had known someone else would be undressing me, I would've been more considerate and wore less!"

She takes a step back and looks at him. Wife-beater shirt that shows off his muscular arms, dress pants that are sitting low around his hips, and his Derby fedora. Now she is the one who is chuckling.

"You look like a member of a boy band!"

"Then it looks like you're about to live every girl's dream…"

"Never my dream!"

"Really? You never had a thing for one of the guys in those cheesy bands?"

"Nyet, I prefer guys who save the world. A hero."

"What a coincidence…I prefer girls who save the world," he says as he tosses his hat aside, landing in the same vicinity as Linka's.

She hooks her fingers through his belt loops and pulls him closer, deftly removing his belt.

"Whoa, Babe…slow down. There's no rush."

"I'm afraid."

"You don't need to be afraid. If you're rushin' to hurry up and get it over with…"

"Nyet. I am afraid that I'll change my mind," she says, reaching up to re-capture his lips.

"Oh," he says as he steps away before she can kiss him. "Then I should leave."

"What?!" She exclaims as she watches him gather his things.

"Look, we don't need to do this tonight…if you're afraid you'll change your mind, it means you're not ready. When you're ready, you'll know. You'll be sure that there's no way you'd ever change your mind…that this is the only thing you can think about because it's all you've ever wanted. I know that. I know I won't change my mind. Which is why I'm stopping you now. If you decide to stop midway through, it'll drive me nuts. Stopping this now is killing me…but it's for the best."

"Wait, I never said that I wanted to stop. I do not think that I can. Is it not natural to feel a little bit of hesitation? A little nervousness?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"So be patient with me?" she asks as she slips her arms around his neck and pulls his head down to lean against hers.

"Of course. But this isn't like rippin' off a Band-Aid, Linka. You don't rush it to get it over with. You want it to last as long as possible, savor and remember every minute. So take it slow…that'll help calm your nerves…and just remember…it's just me…and I only want to make you happy."

"And I want to make you happy. I do not want to disappoint you."

"You could never disappoint me. This has already been a great day. Whether we continue, or whether I leave isn't gonna change that."

"It would disappoint me if you left," she says as she tilts her head up and brushes her nose against his.

"Then I'll stay. And if we continue, that's great…but don't feel like you have to if you're not ready. There's no pressure to do anything you're not ready to do."

"I would like to try. I thought things were going well until you stopped me!"

"You were racing! I know we just spent all day at the races, but this ain't a race. They call the Derby the greatest 2 minutes in sports…let't make this night last longer than two minutes."

"Ok…then if we are going to use racing terms, you be the pace setter," she says as she takes the pile of clothes that he is holding out of his hands and drops them on the ground.

Wheeler takes full advantage of having his hands free and rests his hands on her hips as he leans down and slowly, thoroughly kisses her. He pulls her against him as his lips travel down her neck and across her collarbone. He reaches behind her and runs his hand up her back until he finds the zipper of her dress. He slowly pulls it down then pulls the dress off her shoulder so his lips can caress more of her skin. He finishes pulling the zipper down and slides the other side of her dress off her other shoulder. Linka pulls her arms out of the sleeves and lets the top of the dress fall to her waist.

Wheeler trails kisses from one shoulder, across her chest, to the other shoulder, then up her neck, to her ear where he whispers,

"Is this ok?"

She nods her head slowly and replies softly,

"Please, do not stop."

"The key is to make you forget all about being nervous because all you can think about is how good this feels. And the only thing you'll be afraid of is that I'll stop. Because if you like this…if this feels right, you're gonna wanna know what happens next…and that's all you're gonna be able to think about…all the nervousness is going to melt away."

He once again kisses her lips and she slips her hands under his shirt and runs them up his chest, lifting the cotton material as she goes until she is able to pull it up and over his head.

While they are kissing, he runs his hands up her back and under her bra, looking for the clasp.

"What the…?"

"It is in the front."

"Oh," he smiles as he leans in to continue their kiss.

He slides his hands around from her back toward the front. He then finds the clasp and unhooks it, and then he gently slides the straps off her arms and removes it completely. He drops his hands down to her waist and slides them to her hips, giving the dress a little bit of a tug and gets it to fall the rest of the way to the ground. He steps back so that he can take a look at her. She lowers her head to avoid looking him in the eye as she suddenly becomes self conscious about being studied.

"Hey…no," he says as he places his finger under her chin and lifts her face to look at him. "Don't ever do that."

"Do what?"

"Look away…like you're ashamed or embarrassed. You have no reason to be…this isn't the first time I've seen a naked woman…I have the internet...I've seen pictures!" He jokes and she smiles shyly. "but I can promise you that you're the most beautiful girl that I've ever seen. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I don't want you to ever think that you're not perfect…that there's anything about you that you need to hide. Not from me. Everything about you is perfect."

"Not everything…Wheeler, I am far from perfect."

"Hey, don't talk about the woman I love like that," he says as he leans down and begins kissing her neck.

Linka's eyes are wide with shock, not at what Wheeler is doing, but at what he just revealed…'_the woman I love_'…did he realize what he just admitted? She leans her head back and hums contentedly as he continues to trail his lips over her skin. He kneels in front of her, hugs his arms around her waist, and rests his cheek against her stomach as she weaves her fingers through his hair. He sighs and feathers a few more kisses across her abdomen.

She lowers herself to be level with him and captures his lips with hers. They stand up and she takes a few steps backwards until she feels the bed behind her. Wheeler reaches behind her, pulls the covers back, and then she sits down and lies back, bringing Wheeler with her.

He pulls away from her kiss and brushes his lips across her neck and whispers,

"What are you thinking?"

"I am wondering what you will do next."

"Are you still scared?"

"Nyet. The only thing I am afraid of is that we will be interrupted and not get to finish what we started."

"That's not gonna happen," he says as he takes her hand in his, kisses her knuckles, and pins her hand over her head as he positions himself above her and prepares to continue, kissing any part of her that his lips encounter.

After a long pause, and him just looking down on her and smiling, Linka laughs nervously and asks,

"What?"

"I'm just memorizing this moment."

Linka reaches up and puts her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him down towards her and sealing her lips to his, signaling that his memorization time was up. He happily complies and they spend the rest of the night "getting lucky in Kentucky."

* * *

They lay there in silence, facing each other but saying nothing. A smile spreads across Linka's face and Wheeler asks,

"So now what are you thinking?"

"Just memorizing this moment," she replies, repeating his words from earlier that night.

He smiles and leans forward to kiss her.

"Wheeler?"

"Yeah?"

"Now you can cross off another '_thing to do'_ on your bucket list!"

Wheeler smiles as he remembers earlier in the day when he jokingly told Linka that she was on his "things to do before I die list."

"I was joking when I said that. I hope you know that. I wasn't planning on this happening…not that I'm not thrilled that it did."

"I know Yankee. I trust you. I know that you had no ulterior motives…and if it were not for the others deciding that they were too tired to join us at dinner, that we would probably not be here now…"

"And do you also know that _THEY_ were the ones with ulterior motives? I'm not buying their 'we're too tired' story. Are you?"

"Nyet, not for a second…but I am not complaining. I am glad they did not join us. Because I would be sleeping alone right now if they did…and I do not ever want to sleep alone again."

"Oh yeah?" He asks hopefully as he holds her tightly to him.

"Da," she replies as she snuggles into his embrace.

"I think that can be arranged."

"Good."

They lay there in silence, so long that each thinks that the other is asleep.

"Wheeler?" she whispers.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for not giving up on me."

"You're welcome. It was a long shot, but I liked the odds…and the pay off was awesome!"

She chuckles at his play on words, and then gets serious.

"You know that I love you, right?"

He's a little taken aback by her admission, although he knew that she did. He knew that tonight would not have played out the way that it did if she didn't love him. It was still nice to hear her say it though.

"I do now…and you know that I've always loved you, right?"

"Da."

"And I always will."

"Me too."

"Good…and you'll still be here tomorrow morning when I wake up?"

"This is my room, so da!"

He laughs nervously.

"I mean, you're not gonna freak out and think this was a huge mistake?"

"Do _you_ think it was a huge mistake?"

"NO! No way. Of course not. But…"

"But you do not believe me when I say that I love you?" She asks.

"It's not that I don't believe you…it's just that…it seems too good to be true. Like this isn't real."

"This is very real Yankee. I love you and I am not going anywhere…you can bet on that!"

He laughs and kisses the top of her head.

"Is it a sure thing?"

She answers him by rolling over to lie on top of him and kisses him thoroughly, and then rests her head on his chest. He wraps his arms around her to hold her there and says,

"Good answer, cuz I'm never gonna let you go."

"Promise?" She says with a yawn.

"Promise," he confirms, unable to suppress his own yawn.

"Good," she replies right before drifting off to sleep.

The End.

* * *

So I tried the "Linka (and LouiseX) method" when I was betting on the Belmont. Mine That Bird had gone from a 50-1 long shot in the Kentucky Derby to the Even money favorite in the Belmont…as much as I wanted him to win, I didn't bet on him. So I went for Linka's second choice, Summer Bird…but I also used Wheeler's more logical method. Summer Bird is also the son of Birdstone (same father as Mine That Bird), who won the Belmont in 2004…and a little bit of racing luck and went with the hot jockey (Summer Bird's jockey had won 3 races in a row earlier in the day, so I thought "who's he riding in the Belmont? I'll bet on that horse!") I didn't have nearly as much money on Summer Bird as I did Mine That Bird (only placed a $2 bet, but I still ended up winning $25, which is $25 more than I had before). And now Triple Crown season is over and I have 11 more months until I go back to Kentucky!


End file.
